HAPFAM - Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African markets
Danish title: HAPFAM - Sunde, protein-rige fødevarer med forbrugervenlige priser til det afrikanske marked
Grant holder: Jacob Holm Nielsen
E-mail: jholm@life.ku.dk
Grant: DKK 20 million
Total budget: DKK 25.5 million
Funding period: 1/1-2014 - 31/12-2018
Research training: 2 PHD'er and 3 PostDocs
Partners: Københavns Universitet – NEXs, Aarhus Universitet, Arla Foods, Fan Milk International, Triple A, Soas – University of London,
The food industry is focused on establishing new markets in Africa, which is undergoing major economic development and has a growing middle class. In spite of increased economic growth in Africa there are still problems with malnutrition, and in 2011 40% of all children develop stunted growth, which further increases the risk of a range of diseases and limits mental development. The aim of this project is to create growth in the food sector by developing new, Danish, competitive and sustainable foodstuffs for the African market by understanding how to combine milk-based protein with isolated plant proteins. The project will develop new methods for isolation of plant proteins from Danish rapeseed, carry out studies of how to change the functionality of proteins and create new types of foods based on interactions between animal and plant protein. Utilization of plant-based protein instead of milk protein will make the products sustainable in comparison to products based entirely on animal protein. The nutritional value of these new foods will be documented through digestion assays on pigs, and there will be trials on humans to document a positive effect on growth. For a successful introduction of new food products it is of vital importance to understand consumer choice and how to affect it, so that they choose the healthier alternative. Hence we will carry out studies of consumer preference by involving anthropologists with knowledge of the African market.
StrucSat - How structure affects satiety
Danish title: StrucSat - Hvordan fødevarers struktur påvirker mæthed
Grant holder: Richard Ipsen
E-mail: ri@life.ku.dk
Grant: DKK 17.4 million
Total budget: DKK 23.8 million
Funding period: 1/1-2014 - 31/12-2018
Research training: 3 PHD'er and 4 PostDocs
Partners: Københavns Universitet – institut for Human ernæring, Københavns Universitet – Biologisk institut, DTU institut for systembiologi og institut for mikro- og nanoteknologi, National Institute of nutrition and seafood research – Norway, Institute of food research - UK
The structure of food is extremely important for how digestion takes place and also for the feeling of satiety and for energy uptake. However the exact mechanism is still unclear. The project StrucSat therefore has the objective of targeting the development of foodstuffs and ingredients towards an increased effect on the consumer’s energy uptake and satiety. A range of food models will be developed, all made from the same initial components and with the same nutritional content. Using different manufacturing processes we will develop foodstuffs with major variations in structure and consistency. This provides the possibility of examining exactly how these factors affect digestion. Furthermore the project will examine how these induced structural and textural differences affect satiety as well as the uptake and consumption of energy. The project will give producers of food products and ingredients a whole new set of tools for optimizing the composition and manufacture of foodstuffs with regards to satiety. Consumers will thus gain access to products with high palatability and a documented effect on satiety and energy uptake. These products will therefore be targeted at consumers who wish take control of their weight and can thus contribute to the fight against obesity. The partners in this project are leading Danish and International researchers within the fields of physics, chemistry, food and nutrition as well as ingredient and food producing companies.
OliGram. Design and gram scale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharides
Danish title: OliGram. Design og enzymatisk syntese af humane mælke-oligosakkarider i gram-skala
Grant holder: Peter Stougaard
E-mail: psg@life.ku.dk
Grant: DKK 11.8 million
Total budget: DKK 15.5 million
Funding period: 1/1-2014 - 31/12-2017
Research training: 1 PhD and 2 PostDocs
Partners: Aalborg Universitet – institut for kemi og bioteknologi, DTU – institut for systemniologi, Arla Foods ingredients, Seoul National University – Korea,
Human breast milk contains human milk-oligosaccharides (HMO), which in nutritional assays demonstrate health-promoting effects like prebiotic activity, anti-adhesion of bacterial pathogens and the stimulation of neural development in new-borns. Most physiological assays have been done with mother's milk, which contains mixtures of oligosaccharides – frequently between 23 and 130 different HMO per person. Therefore, it has only in very few cases been possible to document the effects of individual, pure oligosaccharides. Purification of specific oligosaccharides is impossible since mother’s milk differs in content and diversity of HMO, and cow’s milk doesn’t contain HMO. In order to document health-promoting effects of individual, pure oligosaccharides it is necessary to develop new processes for producing HMO on a gram-scale. In this project, we will develop new enzymatic processes based on heat stable glycosyl hydrolases. These enzymes will permit the production of HMO at high temperatures, which promotes hygiene, and increase the rate of reaction and solubility of the reactants. The stability of the enzymes and their ability to synthesise HMO will be tested, and selected enzymes with great potential will be manufactured on a large scale and used in processes aimed at producing HMO on a gram-scale. In the longer term this process will enable physiological nutrition assays and industrial production of HMO for infant formulas, special nutritional products and medical treatments.
LIFE-DNP: hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid, sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle related diseases
Danish title: Fødevarer og sundhed - studier baseret på hyperpolariserings-MR
Grant holder: Hans Stødkilde-Jørgensen
E-mail: hsj@mr.au.dk
Grant: DKK 17.4 million
Total budget: DKK 33.9 million
Funding period: 1/4-2014 - 30/3-2018
Research training: 7 PhD'er and 2 PostDocs
Partners: Aarhus Universitet – ANIS, Aarhus Universitetshospital, DTU, GE Healthcare, Arla Foods Ingredients group, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge,
The consumption of meat, fatty products and sweetened beverages has risen in the western world and causes of death have changed towards arteriosclerosis, diabetes and obesity-related diseases. Today there is also an increase in demand for protein in the emerging economies, and therefore a market need for proteins in the form of industrially refined protein concentrates from plant and milk products. The objective of LIFE-DNP is to understand how dietary fat, sugar and protein are linked to disease development and through this, to contribute to disease prevention. Additionally, we will be able to contribute detailed knowledge about changes in metabolic breakdown patterns originating from new protein composites and the amount of dietary protein in the diet. This information can support product refinement of Danish foodstuffs and give access to new markets. LIFE-DNP is based on a completely new MR-scanning technique (hyperpolarization-MR or DNP) measuring the tissue metabolism of fat, sugar and protein with an unprecedented degree of sensitivity. DNP is being introduced in Denmark, as one of the first countries in Europe. The sensitivity in determining the most important metabolic substances and their breakdown products has increased with a factor of 1,000 to 10,000. DNP is therefore extremely well suited for measuring changes in biochemical processes as a result of diet alterations as well as highlighting connections between dietary patterns, disease and disease prevention.
A plant-produced immunoenhanced pig vaccine against PRRS
Danish title: En plante-produceret vaccine mod grise PRRS
Grant holder: Finn Skou Pedersen
E-mail: fsp@mb.au.dk
Grant: DKK 15.2 million
Total budget: DKK 19.5 million
Funding period: 1/1-2014 - 31/12-2018
Research training: 2 hD'er and 2 PostDocs
Partners: DTU CEN, DTU VET, SKAU Vaccines, Institute of Virology and Immunology, Videncenter for svineproduktion; Landbrug og Fødevarer, Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Research Center GmbH,
PRSS is the most important infectious pig disease in the world and in Denmark, and has a large impact on animal welfare and agricultural economics. Furthermore abuse of antibiotics to control respiratory problems associated with PRSS can pose a risk for the public health. Control of PRSS is therefore a top priority in all pork producing countries. Unlike most other viruses PRSS can be found in the blood several weeks after antibodies have been produced. Current vaccines are not satisfactory and there is a need for a vaccine which is i) safe, ii) efficient iii) adaptable to new strains of the virus. Recent research has identified non-infectious vaccines such as virus-like particles (VLP) as being the most efficient. The ability for the immune systems to recognize the GP5 surface protein of the PRSS virus is vital for the efficiency of a vaccine. We propose eliminating immune-suppressive motifs in GP5 and producing VLPs with comparative hyperimmunogen GP5 in plants, which will have advantages in terms of price, production, speed and safety. This holds scientific challenges such as i) plant cell membrane presentation of an animal virus protein, ii) its presentation on VLPs, iii) inactivation of immunosuppressive domains in GP5 and iv) efficient production of VLPs in plants. The VLPs will be characterised and their efficiency as vaccine will be tested on swine. Completion of the project will provide evidence for a new type of PRSS vaccine and a technological platform for developing vaccines against other viruses such as SARS or HIV.
Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste - novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food production
Danish title: Mikroorganismer til forøget planteudnyttelse af fosfor fra jord og affald
Grant holder: Ole Nybroe
E-mail: oln@life.ku.dk
Grant: DKK 19.3 million
Total budget: DKK 25,1 million
Funding period: 1/1-2014 - 31/12-2017
Research training: 3 PhD'er and 2 PostDocs
Partners: DTU, Novozymes, Knowledge centre of Agriculture, CSIRO Plant Industri; Canberra,
The objective of the project is to contribute to sustainable use of P-resources in future food production. Increasing demand for food at a global scale leads to an intensified plant production. As a consequence there is an increased need for phosphate (P) fertilizer, which is gradually falling into short supply as our reserves of rock phosphate are being drained. Commercially available microorganisms can help plants access inorganic P in the soil, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. In this project we will examine the mechanisms of microbial P release from soil in order to attain more robust products. Additionally we have the goal of developing new plant growth-promoting microorganisms, which can release P from large waste streams with a high organic P content; a resource which is currently not utilised optimally. Furthermore we will examine how microorganisms can be used to increase the availability of the large amounts of inorganic P in ash from low-temperature gasification of waste materials. This could enable a wider application of waste as a resource. The research ranges from the level of genes to whole ecosystems and includes basic research as well as applied research in close collaboration with industry. The research has great commercial value, since microbial products in the long run can complement or replace traditional P fertilizers. The results from this project may thus lead to greater societal robustness against the economic and geopolitical challenges arising from the expected scarcity of rock phosphate
BRCC- Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygni
Danish title: BRCC-Effektiv resistens mod sygdommen Ramularia bladplet i byg forårsaget af den endofytiske svamp Ramularia collo-cygni
Grant holder: Elena Simona Radutoiu
E-mail: sir@mb.au.dk
Grant: DKK 15.2 million
Total budget: DKK 19.8 million
Funding period: 1/1-2014 - 31/12-2018
Research training: 4 PhD'er and 1 PostDoc
Partners: Københavns Universitet, The james Hutton Institute, SRUC; Scotland’s Rural College, Sejet Plantbreeding I/S,
Ramularia leaf spot caused by the fungus Ramularia collo-cygni (Rcc) is a disease, which over the past 20 years has had an increasing significance for barley, with yield loss of up to 35%. Since Rcc does not cause visible symptoms in its first, endophytic stage and has an effective dispersal mechanism, the fungus is very difficult to control through chemical plant protection and by resistance breeding. So far no naturally resistant barley crops have been identified. Additionally, tools that allow efficient prediction of major attacks are currently lacking. In this project, the goals are to identify molecular and genetic components involved in the transition of fungus from endophyte to pathogen and on the basis of these findings to develop tools for breeding tolerant cultivars as well as for predicting disease outbreaks. Our hypothesis is that if Rcc can be kept in its endophytic stage it is possible to prevent disease development. In order to achieve this we will identify mechanisms important for the transition from asymptomatic to disease state by analysing both fungus and plant. This will form a basis for identification and selection of plants with improved resistance against Ramularia leaf spots. Using the acquired molecular, genetic and biological knowledge we will develop DNA markers which can be used for breeding of new barley varieties, as well as for developing tools that can efficiently predict potential disease outbreaks. BRCC will bring together, for the first time, leading international experts in this area, with the aim of integrating knowledge on both interaction partners i.e. plant and fungi
Keratin2Protein: Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversion
Danish title: En ny tilgang til udvindelse af højværdi-proteinprodukter fra biprodukter gennem mikrobiologisk konvertering
Grant holder: Søren Johannes Sørensen
E-mail: sjs@bio.ku.dk
Grant: DKK 13.3 million
Total budget: DKK 21.1 million
Funding period: 1/1-2014 - 31/12-2017
Research training: 3 PhD'er and 5 PostDocs
Partners: Københavns Universitet - Institut for fødevare- og ressourceøkonomi, DTU Systembiologi, DTU institut for systembiologi, Aalborg Universitet – institut for Bioteknologi og kemi, Nanyang Technological University – Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Ghent University – faculty og bioscience engineering, Teknologisk Institut – DMRI – center for råvarekvalitet, Dansih Crown – bioproduktområdet, Daka Demanrk A/S, BioMar A/S, DTU institut for Kemiteknik,
In the wild, biological processes are handled by diverse groups of microorganisms working jointly, which is the result of millions of years of evolution. Unlike this, biotechnological production is dominated by the paradigm: one gene – one protein – one product. This project aims to illustrate how microbial consortia can be used as biotechnological tools. Using advanced techniques it is now possible to study how microorganisms in consortia cooperate. This possibility will be used in this project to find new ways of reusing waste in a sustainable way. Offal which is difficult to decompose like hair and hooves can be turned into high protein fodder for e.g. fish or into other high value products. Globally this market alone is estimated to be worth more than 2 billion kr. (€ 168m). Studies of the conversion of these waste products will serve as a pilot project. The results from this pilot project can be used to develop microbial consortia with a large application potential within a range of processes involving foodstuffs, waste management and green energy. In this way the results from this project can accelerate the process of turning a costly waste problem into profitable production and thus make food production more competitive, sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industries (REWARD)
Danish title: Genbrug af vand i fødevare- og bioprocesserings-industrien
Grant holder: Søren Balling Engelsen
E-mail: se@food.ku.dk
Grant: DKK 17.8 million
Total budget: DKK 26.2 million
Funding period: 1/1-2014 - 31/03-2018
Research training: 4 PhD'er and 4 PostDocs
Partners: DTU NANO, DTU Kemiteknik, Københavns Universitet KU.FOOD.MICRO, technische Universität München, YUM School og Management, DHI, Arla Foods Amba, DSS Silkeborg A/S, Alectia, Novozymes A/S,
The idea of water as an inexhaustible resource belongs in the past. The food and bioprocessing industry are some of the biggest users and emitters of process water. While this constitutes a severe burden on the environment it also represent an untapped resource which could advantageously be reused in production. The REWARD project (Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industry) will supply Danish companies in this sector with fundamental new technology and knowledge which will facilitate a much more efficient exploitation of water and thus bring the producers closer to a 100% sustainable production. REWARD will to use the successful principles behind Process Analytical Technology (PAT) and Quality by Design (QbD) as well as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) to minimise the consumption of drinking water and increase recycling of process and cleaning water. The goal of REWARD is: (A) to develop and implement new high-tech sensor systems to monitor the chemical and biological components of process water streams and the efficiency of water treatment as well as (B) to develop a completely new approach for optimising the cleaning of waste water, which can create a constant knowledge based push towards minimising water consumption and waste. We predict that this project will place Danish science, education and technology at the international forefront of development and export of new water-saving concepts, new water management technology and education within optimisation of water exploitation and water quality in the processing industry.